So once we arrived in Liverpool, we hopped in a Taxi bound for Anfield. From Lime Street, the journey didn't take too long, nor cost too much. That was a pleasant surprise as i'm used to taxis costing a fortune! From the stadium gates, the visitor center was really easy to find as it was also the entrance to the museum. This is where we checked in for our tour, and where we were also given printed sheets with the teams autographs on. Looking over it and deciding who had the nicest autographs killed some time waiting for our tour to start, as we were a bit early... And of course, taking a bunch of photos of the stadium exterior, such as the sign for the iconic Kop stand.
Having done the tours of Old Trafford and the original Wembley before, it was interesting to see how they did things at Anfield. There was plenty of information about it's history and future, as it's currently being expanded. The tour guides had everything covered and both seemed really friendly and approachable. The tour didn't seem rushed at any points, and everyone had plenty of time to explore the areas visited.
After the tour we had a nosey around the museum and shop. Claire bought a really soft cushion and a keyring, while I bought her a cute pin as a present. I thought it was sweet as the inscription above the Shankly gates at Liverpool reads, 'You'll never walk alone,' and that's also what friends are for, right? The most fun part of the stadium tour for me, was snapping pictures of my friend while she looked around. I think people look most beautiful through a lens when unawares or caught off guard. Unless it's me... I look like a startled hippo.
After that we hopped in a taxi to get to our next destination, CENTRAL PERK. Yep, you read that right! A cute little cafe located at 38 Hatton Garden, complete with orange sofa and tv's showing episodes of Friends! Unfortunately the orange sofa was taken, so we found ourselves a little table with a good view of the TV for a bit. I can't remember what episode it was now, but it was funny one. (Well that narrows it down, doesn't it?)
We were given a table 'number', and our orders were made and brought over. The table numbers were actually characters name on cute chalkboards. We had Gunther, which I thought was quite amusing and appropriate considering the location. Claire had a huge hot chocolate, and I went for a cherry bakewell milkshake. Yep, I'm one of those weird people who don't drink any kind of hot drink, so I can't comment on what the hot chocolate was like, but Claire enjoyed it. I on the other hand, thought my nicely chilled milkshake was great... Although I have a sneaking suspicion they may have just blended a Mr Kiplings up, as it tasted exactly like a cherry bakewell tart.
While we were here we figured we'd have some lunch. We were going to have a panini or sandwich, as we didn't know when we'd get to have dinner but they had ran out of some of the ingredients for the things I would have chosen, so we both went back to our original idea... Dinner plate sized waffle with strawberries. YUM! If you're ever in Liverpool's Central Perk, we definitely recommend this. It was yummy, soft and really filling.
So then we planned to head on with our adventure and do a spot of sight seeing... But we got lost trying to find the bus stop that went on a loop around the city. By the time we found the right stop, it was out of operation so we carried on further up (past the fanciest One Stop i've ever seen in my life) and bumped into the Liver Building. Exactly where we wanted to go anyway! From there we stumbled upon Pier Head, and were surprised by how close it actually was to Albert Dock. From there it was a stones throw to Liverpool One! Everything seemed pretty far apart on the map, but are a few minutes walk at most away from each other. There are loads of interesting things to see in this area, so i'll just share a few snaps...
A Liver bird atop the Liver Building on a dreary February prevening.
One of the four decorated Superlambanana's outside the Museum of Liverpool.
Albert Dock.
Anchor in front of the Merseyside Maritime Museum.
From here it was a short walk to Liverpool One, a 'shopping, residential and leisure complex'. It had pretty much everything from all the big name shops and restaurants, a cinema and various other entertainments and smaller cute shops. One of these little interesting shops is where I picked up what is probably the greatest thing i've ever bought in my entire life. This awesome Superlambanana magnet for £4. Part of me wishes I bought the little ceramic replica, but it was a bit pricey at £34. I kind of wish i'd at least got the keyring too as I absolutely love those things. I'm glad I got to see some of the smaller versions outside the museum. If we go to Liverpool again, the big yellow Superlambanana is definitely top of my list of things to see and do.
Between HMV and the Disney Store, I managed to score a whopping 7 shiny covered Disney Classics for my collection. I picked up Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in HMV, and 101 Dalmations at the Disney Store. I can't actually remember which others I managed to get for my collection, but I am pretty sure I also got Fantasia and Atlantis here. I have a grand total of 32 now and the last 20 are getting harder and harder to find. Sob! :(
We continued having a wander and nipped in and out of a few shops, and didn't really buy anything else. That was until I spotted this lovely lightweight jumper in H&M. I'm not 100% sure what this says, but Google translate says it means 'handsome' in Japanese. It is a really soft material, great loose fit and I love the stripes on the sleeve. So this was a great buy at a teeny tiny price of £5.99!
To finish off the day we headed to Las Iguanas for dinner. We nipped in just in time to take advantage of a lunch time special offer menu, so our meals were very good value. I had the same meal that i've had on a previous trip and it was just as yummy. You can have a peep at my review here!
After that we went off in search of the bus to get us back to the station. The bus route passed the Chinatown Arch and the Metropolitan Cathedral. I have no words to explain how WOW those two structures were, and when we do venture back to Liverpool in the future they are definitely on my list of places to visit and take pictures of. After the SuperLambanana of course. When the bus dropped us off, we arrived with less than a minute to find our train. Luck was really on our side today as the entrance the bus stopped by was practically on top of the train and we hopped right on. Our butts had barely hit the seat and the train began to leave! Phew, what a day!
After all that, Claire was glad she bought a cushion... Although I think i'd be in big trouble if I shared the picture of her trying to catch a few Zzzz with it on the train home. (I'll probably Instagram it. Mwuahahaha.)
If we had more than just a day we'd have definitely stopped by to check out The Beatles Story and the Tate at Albert Dock. What do you recommend next time we visit Liverpool?
Laters!
Catch up with me;
A trip to Everton Park, you can see the whole skyline and its beautiful. Its in walking distance from Anfield too so maybe you could return there for another visit :p
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